Hala, A Powerful Short Exploring Adolescent Sexual Desires

Hala is a beautifully crafted coming of age short which explores cultural and religious expectations conflicting with personal desires. It’s a very different take on the subject. It impresses with its strong performances, subtle storytelling and restrained cinematography.

Our protagonist, Hala, a sixteen-year-old Muslim-American teenager, has a rich, interior life but has difficulty expressing her thoughts and feelings. As she navigates her adolescence, her own beliefs and the expectations of her family, Hala comes to learn who she is. This is the story of a Muslim-American girl who faces the tensions between faith,personal, and sexual exploration.

*WARNING: NSFW*

This showcases the real struggle of children of immigrants who have a hard time figuring out what’s right and what’s wrong. It has nothing to do with religion but more about self-discovery and conflit to fit in with one’s family values.

This short film is only a small glimpse, which writer (also director) Minhal Baig wrote as a feature film. With this, she hopes to attract the interest of financiers and executives who would be interested in helping make the full version. Any interest or inquiries regarding the feature length film should be directed to Ari Lubet at 3 Arts Entertainment or Minhal Baig on Twitter.